• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.481-489
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• 2005

Lonicerae Flos has antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci, pneumococci, Bacillus dysenterii, Salmonella typhi, and paratyphoid. It is an antiviral agent. The herb has a cytoprotective effect against $CCl_{4}-induced$ hepatic injury. It has antilipemic action, interfering with lipid absorption from the gut. Nowadays this herb is used mainly in the treatment of upper respiratory infections, such as tonsillitis and acute laryngitis. It is also used in the treatment of skin suppurations, such as carbuncles, and to treat viral conjunctivitis, influenza, pneumonia, and mastitis. Lonicerae Flos is dried flower buds of Lonicera japonica, L. hypoglauca, L. confusa, or L. dasystyla. But, for the most part, we use whole plant of Lonicera japonica, as a flower bud of it. And, little is known of the original copy of effects of whole plant, except for the 'Bon-Cho-Gang-Mok', which is written the effects of flower of Lonicera japonica are equal to effects of leaves and branch of it. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of flower and whole plant of Lonicera japonica on the regulatory mechanism of cytokines, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) for the immunological activities in Raw 264.7 cells. In Raw 264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic inflammation, flower and whole plant of Lonicera japonica water extracts inhibited nitric oxide production in a dose-dependent manner and abrogated iNOS and COX-2. Flower and whole plant of Lonicera japonica water extract did not affect on cell viability. To investigate the mechanism by which flower and whole plant of Lonicera japonica water extract inhibits iNOS and COX-2 gene expression, we examined the on phosphorylation of inhibitor ${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and assessed production of $TNF-{\alpha}$, $interleukin-1{\beta}$ $(IL-1{\beta})$ and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Results provided evidence that flower and whole plant of Lonicera japonica inhibited the production of $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6 and activated the phosphorylation of inhibitor ${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ in Raw 264.7 cells activated with LPS. These findings suggest that flower and whole plant of Lonicera japonica can produce anti-inflammatory effect, which may play a role in adjunctive therapy in Gram-negative bacterial infections, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: The scab, which is caused by Venturia nashicola, gives serious damages to pear trees. 'Niitaka' accounts for 82% of areas in pear cultivation. However 'Niitaka' is a scab susceptible cultivar. So, most of Korean farmers who growing pear trees have suffered by economic losses with the scab. In this research, we evaluated the scab resistance among elite pear seedlings to clarify genetics about the scab resistance. And we analyzed photosynthetic features with these seedlings to develop suitable cultivar which is advantageous for producing quality fruits during the growth and development of plants. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured the rates of scab incidence among seedlings in a field experiment condition and an in-vitro test. An in-vitro test has been done with field experiment-based results. We made plant materials by grafting branches of each seedlings with 'Kongbae' rootstocks. And they had been grown for one month. Then, scab conidia suspension is sprayed to seedlings and sustained for 40 days under the controlled environment. As the results, 6 seedlings displayed lower incidence rates than other seedlings and 'Niitaka'. We also measured instant photosynthetic rates of each seedlings to determine the correlation between photosynthetic rates and fruit characteristics. However, it seemed that there is no correlation between them. CONCLUSION(S): Among the seedlings, 6 seedlings displayed the higher resistance to scab than other seedlings and 'Niitaka'. This characteristics is considered to be come from the gene expression of European pear. And we found that photosynthetic rate in trees rarely does not influence the fruit characteristics. It is considered to be affected by cultivar's own characteristics.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2008

The efficient soluble expression of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) was achieved by using functional fusion partners in cytoplasm and periplasm of Escherichia coli (E. coli). hEGF was over-expressed in inactive inclusion body form in cytoplasm of E. coli due to improper disulfide bond formation and hydrophobic interaction, yielding about 5.9 mg/L in flask culture. Six functional fusion partners were introduced by linking to N-terminal part of hEGF gene for the high-level expression of soluble and active hEGF in cytoplasm and peri plasm region. Three fusion partners for cytoplasmic expression such as acidic tail of synuclein (ATS), thioredoxin (Trx) and lipase, and three fusion partners for periplasmic expression such as periplasmic cystein oxidoreductases (DsbA and DsbC) and maltose binding protein (MBP) were investigated. hEGF fused with ATS and DsbA showed over 90% of solubility in cytoplasm and periplasm, respectively. Especially DsbA was found to be an efficient fusion partner for soluble and high-level expression of hEGF, yielding about 18.1 mg/L and three-fold higher level compared to that of insoluble non-fusion hEGF in cytoplasm. Thus, heterologous proteins containing complex disulfide bond and many hydrophobic amino acids can effectively be produced as an active form in E. coli by introducing a suitable peptide or protein.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2005

In order to develop a new microbial fungicide using endophytic bacteria for the control of anthracnoses occurring on various crops, a total of 260 bacterial strains were isolated from fresh tissues of 5 plant species. After they were cultured in broth medium, their antifungal activities were tested for in vivo antifungal activity against cucumber anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare. As the results, liquid cultures of 28 strains showed potent antifungal activities more than $90\%$ against cucumber anthracnose. At 3-fold dilutions of liquid cultures, 18 strains inhibited the development of cucumber anthracnose of more than $70\%$. They were further tested for in vivo antifungal activity against red pepper anthracnose caused by C. coccodes and in vitro antifungal activity against C. acutatum, a fungal agent causing red pepper anthracnose. Among 18 strains, a bacterial strain EB215 isolated from cucumber roots displayed the most potent antifungal activity against Colletotrichum species. It was identified as Burkholderia cepacia based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics, Biolog test and 16S rDNA gene sequence. It also controlled effectively the development of rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea), rice sheath blight (Corticium sasaki), tomato gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), and tomato late blight (Phytophthora infestans). Studies on the characterization of antifungal substances produced by B. cepacia EB215 are in progress.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2001

The ectopic expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone(GnRH and luteinizing hormone(LH) in several tissues is a quite intriguing phenomenon. Recently, the presence of GnRH and its receptor has been clearly demonstrated in rodents and human mammary gland. In this context, one can postulate that the presence of local circuit composed of GnRH and LH in the gland. The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether there is a correlation between the LH expression in rat mammary gland and physiological status during the process of mammary differentiation. LH contents in mammary gland from cycling to weaning rats were measured by radioimmunoassay(RIA). In cycling rats, changes of the LH level in both serum and mammary gland showed similar pattern as the highest level in proestrus and the lowest level in diestrus II stage. While the serum LH levels were fluctuated from pregnant through involution stage, a sharp decline of mammary LH contents was observed in the lactating rats. This decrement was recovered in involuting rats to the level of proestrus stage. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analyses demonstrated that the transcriptional activities of the mammary LH and GnRH were increased from diestrus I stage to estrus stage, and the increased levels were maintained in pregnant, lactation and involution stages. To test the hypothesis that the alteration in mammary LH expression might be steroid-dependant, ovariectomy(OVX) and steroid supplement model was employed. As expected, supplement of estradiol(E$_2$) after OVX remarkably decreased serum LH level compared to that in serum from vehicle-only treated rats. Likewise, administration of E$_2$ significantly reduced the mammary LH content. The present study demonstrated that (i) the LH expression in mammary gland could be altered by some physiological parameters such as estrous cycle, pregnancy, lactation and involution, and (ii) ovarian steroid especially estrogen seems to be one of major endocrine factors which are responsible for regulation of mammary LH expression.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2002

An International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) program based at the University of Illinois at Chicago initiated its activities in 1998, with the following specific objectives: (a) inventory and conservation of of plants of Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam and of medicinal plants of Laos; (b) drug discovery (and development) based on plants of Vietnam and Laos; and (c) economic development of communities participating in the ICBG project both in Vietnam and Laos. Member-institutions and an industrial partner of this ICBG are bound by a Memorandum of Agreement that recognizes property and intellectual property rights, prior informed consent for access to genetic resources and to indigenous knowledge, the sharing of benefits that may arise from the drug discovery effort, and the provision of short-term and long-term benefits to host country institutions and communities. The drug discovery effort is targeted to the search for agents for therapies against malaria (antimalarial assay of plant extracts, using Plasmodium falciparum clones), AIDS (anti-HIV-l activity using HOG.R5 reporter cell line (through transactivation of the green fluorescent protein/GFP gene), cancer (screening of plant extracts in 6 human tumor cell lines - KB, Col-2, LU-l, LNCaP, HUVEC, hTert-RPEl), tuberculosis (screening of extracts in the microplate Alamar Blue assay against Mycobacterium tuberculosis $H_{37}Ra\;and\;H_{37}Rv),$ all performed at UIC, and CNS-related diseases (with special focus on Alzheimer's disease, pain and rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma), peformed at Glaxo Smith Kline (UK). Source plants were selected based on two approaches: biodiversity-based (plants of Cuc Phuong National Park) and ethnobotany-based (medicinal plants of Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam and medicinal plants of Laos). At mc, as of July, 2001, active leads had been identified in the anti-HIV, anticancer, antimalarial, and anti- TB assay, after the screening of more than 800 extracts. At least 25 biologically active compounds have been isolated, 13 of which are new with anti-HIV activity, and 3 also new with antimalarial activity. At GSK of 21 plant samples with a history of use to treat CNS-related diseases tested to date, a number showed activity against one or more of the CNS assay targets used, but no new compounds have been isolated. The results of the drug discovery effort to date indicate that tropical plant diversity of Vietnam and Laos unquestionably harbors biologically active chemical entities, which, through further research, may eventually yield candidates for drug development. Although the substantial monetary benefit of the drug discovery process (royalties) is a long way off, the UIC ICBG program provides direct and real-term benefits to host country institutions and communities.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2015

We compared the degrees of stress response of 12 domestic purebred chicken strains that have been bred at National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Korea since 1980. As a physiological marker of stress response, the expression levels of heat shock protein (HSP)-70, HSP-$90{\alpha}$, HSP-$90{\beta}$, hydroxyl-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) genes and telomere length were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction using the lymphocytes of 1,101 chickens. There was significant difference in HSP-70, HSP-$90{\alpha}$, HMGCR expression and telomere length among the strains. There was also significant difference in HSP-$90{\alpha}$, HSP-$90{\beta}$, and HMGCR expression between male and female chickens. Different age groups of chicken exhibited different expression levels of HSP-70, HSP-$90{\alpha}$ and telomere length. The results of the HSPs expression level suggested that, the strains of R, L and Y were highly resistant to stress, whereas the strains of S, O and W were susceptible to stress. Although the statistical differences in some of HSPs gene expression existed between genders, the HSP expression results varied in different strains that some opposed to the others, and there might be interaction between strains and genders, which conclude that there was no difference in stress response between male and female chickens. Moreover, despite of significant difference in some of HSPs expression level, it was considered that there was no difference in stress response between ages due to the inconsistent trends among HSP markers.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2011

In 2005, a survey was conducted to identify virus diseases on victory onion, Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum grown in Ulleung island located in the East Sea. A total of 61 samples were collected from victory onion in the neighborhood of Seonginbong. The identification of viruses from the samples were carried out by electron microscopy and RT-PCR using primers species specific to GCLV, LYSV, SLV, OYDV and genus specific to Allexivirus, respectively. From sixty-one samples, filamentous rod particles (600-900 nm) were detected from four victory onion samples in EM, three samples containing SLV and one sample containing both SLV and Allexivirus in RT-PCR analysis, respectively. Victory onions naturally infected by the viruses were asymptomatic apparently. The viruses detected by RT-PCR were further characterized by the nucleotide sequence analysis of the coat protein region. Three isolates of SLV showed approximately 99% identities in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences, suggesting that they were likely to be the same strain. On the other hand, they showed approximately 75.7~83.7% identities in the nucleotide and 89.2~97.0% in amino acid sequences compared with the previously reported SLV isolates in Allium. The CP gene of the Allexivirus showed approximately 99.2% nucleotide identities and 98.8% amino acid identities with Garlic virus A. However, there was relatively low homology ranging from 60.6% to 81.5% compared with other Allexiviruses (GarV-C, GarV-E, GarV-X, GMbMV, and Shal-X). These data suggested that two viruses, SLV and GarV-A identified from victory onion, are named SLV-Ulleungdo and GarV-A-Ulleungdo, respectively. This is the first report of viruses infecting victory onion.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.286-294
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• 2004

Between 1997 and 1998 in Korea, 56 isolates of Escherichia coli were obtained from pig suffering diarrhea. Among those, 38 isolates that showed the hemolytic activity, antimicrobial resistance, and toxin production were studied. Among 38 isolates, thirty-six isolates $(94.7\%)$ were resistant to tetracycline, 27 isolates $(71.0\%)$ were resistant to ampicillin, 26 isolates $(68.4\%)$ were resistant to chloramphenicol, and 21 isolates $(55.2\%)$ were resistant to trimethoprim, while none was resistant to aztreonam, amikacin, and norfloxacin. Among these iso­lates, 21 isolates $(55.3\%)$ were multiple drug resistant to at least four different class antimicrobial agents. Extended spectrum $\beta-lactamase$ producing isolates were not detected in the double disk synergy test. In these hemolytic Escherichia coli, heat-stable enterotoxin $(89.5\%)$ was the most prevalent toxin, followed by vero­toxins $(47.4\%),$ and then heat-labile enterotoxin $(31.6\%).$ Except 8 isolates $(21.0\%)$ which produced ST only, 12 isolates $(31.6\%)$ produced ST and LT, 13 isolates $(34.2\%)$ produced ST, VT, and VTe, and 5 isolates $(13.2\%)$ produced VT and VTe. However, none produced all 4 types of toxin, simultaneously. The predominant serotype could not be determined by the agglutination method. Sixteen isolates $(42.1\%)$ were strongly adhered to T-24 bladder cell and 17 isolates $(44.7\%)$ were to Caco-2 intestinal cell. Especially, 11 strains $(28.9\%)$ were evaluated as strongly adhesive to both T-24 cells and Caco-2 cells. Genes for toxin and the antimicrobial resistance were transferred to clinical isolates of Escherichia coli from human urine by the filter mating method. Results suggest the possibility that antimicrobial resistance and toxin can be transferred from animals to humans by direct con­tact of resistant bacteria as well as gene transfer, although there was no correlation between toxin production, adherent activity, and antimicrobial resistance among hemolytic E. coli isolated from pig suffering diarrhea.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.161-171
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• 2019

Four-week-old male Korean native chicks (KNC) were assigned to 3 groups with 6 replicates (8 birds/replicate) in each group: a basal diet (CON, 100 ppm of Zn), basal diet fortified with 50 ppm of Zn with zinc oxide (ZnO), or basal diet fortified with 50 ppm of Zn with Zn-methionine (ZnM). Immediately after a 4-week-feeding trial, 6 birds per group were used to evaluate the effects of zinc supplements on antioxidant indicators and the mRNA expression of zinc transport genes. The nitrogen components, lipid peroxidation, and total antioxidant status in blood were not influenced by Zn fortified diets. However, the ZnM group showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in uric acid levels than those in the ZnO group. In the small intestine, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were unaffected by zinc supplements. The activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced by Zn-methionine supplementation. In the liver, the activity of GST was significantly (P<0.05) increased by Zn-methionine supplement without affecting SOD, GPX, and MDA levels. With respect to the mRNA expression of zinc transport genes, the ZnM group displayed a strong tendency for increases in intestinal ZnT-1 (P=0.09) and ZnT-5 (P=0.06) levels, compared to those in the CON group. Moreover, the ZnM group showed a tendency (P=0.10) for up-regulation of hepatic metallothionein mRNA as compared with the CON group. In conclusion, the Zn-fortified diet with 50 ppm of Zn-methionine helped to improve GST activity and Zn transport gene expression in the small intestine or liver of KNC.